Fried Chicken Southern Style

We all want to eat as healthy as we can, but, let's face it: we all crave some fried stuff now and then. So, here's a recipe of some fried chicken pieces coated in an egg and breadcrumbs mixture after it's been marinated in a combination of spices that I've made up myself.

INGREDIENTS (serves three):

• the legs and thighs and breast of one chicken;

FOR THE MARINADE:

• a splash of Worcestershire Sauce;
• salt and pepper to taste;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine;
• a splash of soy sauce;
• a pinch of cumin (ground);
• a generous pinch of time;
• a table spoon of regular mustard;

FOR THE COATING:

• 2 eggs, beaten well;
• 2 cups breadcrumbs.

HOW TO MAKE:

First separate the chicken legs from the thighs and cut the chicken breast in about 4 or 5 pieces (however you can manage around the bones). Take off all the skin from all the pieces of chicken. Make a few cuts with a sharp knife into the meat on all facets of it so the seasoning and the marinade gets into it better and later the coating will be more adherent and thick. No more then 3 or 4 cuts on each chicken piece will be enough.

Next make a marinade from all the ingredients shown above and coat the meat well with it. Let sit in the fridge for at least one hour (to a day).

Beat the eggs well and get the chicken pieces one by one, coat them well on all sides with the eggs and then coat them well with the breadcrumbs in a separate container. Work with only one handwhen coating with egg, otherwise you will make a mess everywhere. It's fun aether way.

Next fry the well coated pieces in a thick skillet with vegetable oil on medium high heat, just until they are brown on all sides. Do not overlay the pieces. Make in batches if the skillet is too small. This doesn't take more than 5 minutes for each batch. 

Finally, put the browned chicken pieces into an oven tray, with a bit of space between them, and cook in the oven for 30 minutes covered, then for another 15-20 minutes uncovered on medium heat (170-200 C). If you can, turn the pieces at half the baking time. For best non stick results you can use an aluminum foil or a baking sheet underneath them. 

It sounds like a lot of work but I promise you that you'll be done in under two hours (including the baking time) and the results are delicious.